Deldin1

ZachDeldin
Mr.Bless
EnglishFoundationsIIHonors
20December2015
HowHysteria,PuritanCulture,andGenderControlsSalem
In1692thepeopleofSalem,Massachusettsbelievedanything,evenwitchesandthe
Devil.ReligionwouldcontrolthepeopleofSalem,andLeslieFessenden,aprofessorofEarly
AmericanCultureforUCLAstates,Religion,forearlyAmericanists,isripetobeshakenloose
fromthePuritanmilieuinwhichtospeakofitwouldbearedundant(Fessenden183184).
FessendentalksabouthowtheearlyAmericanpeoplearesoobsessedaboutreligiontheywill
believeanything.ThisproblemwouldsoondevelopintotheSalemWitchTrialsof1692.The
timeof1692iswhereChristianityandPuritanbeliefscontrolledeverythingifyoudidntbelieve
inGodorwhattheBiblesaidthenyouwereawitchandwouldbehanged.Aplaywrightbythe
nameofArthurMillertooktheearlyPuritanCultureandtheSalemWitchTrialsasinspiration
andwrote
TheCrucible
,whichisbasedontherealSalemWitchTrials.Theplayhasalotof
evidenceandhistorytosupportthreethingsthatcomprisethemainpartintheplay:hysteria,
puritanculture,andgender,eachplayatremendousroleintheSalemWitchTrialsin1692.
Masshysteriaisaphenomenonthattransmitscollectivedelusionsofthreats,whetherreal
orimaginary,throughasocietyasaresultofrumorsandfear.InMillerstragicmoralityplayof
deudpurity,thegirlsofSalemareinfectedbyhysteriaandthatisareasonwhytheymakeupthe
liesofseeingtheDevilanddarkspirits.AccordingtoRichardGardnerongirlswithhysteria,

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immaturechildrenaremanipulatedbycoercivebiasedinterviews(Gardnern.page.).The
meaningofthisstatesthatimmaturechildren,thegirls,areeasilymanipulatedbybiased
interviewsintohysteria.Assaidbeforethegirlscanbemanipulatedthroughinterrogation,which
resultsinhysteria.InMillersdramathereisproofofthis,Mary,asthroughinfected,opensher
mouthandscreamswiththem(ActThree:118).TheinterrogationofMaryhelpedherbecome
infectedwithhysteria,MarynowtelltheGovernorhowyoudancedinthewoods,(ActThree:
104).MaryisaffectedbytheinterrogationsandleadingquestionsofDanforthandtrickedher
intoscreamingwiththeothergirls.
Religionin1692iseverythingtothepeopleofSalem,itiswhythehumanraceisalive
butcanreligionbethereasonofthespreadofhysteria?ReverendParrisistheministerforSalem
historicallyandintheplay,andhewasthecontributorinthehouseofGodforthepeopleof
Salem.HehadpreachedabouthowtheDevilishere.AccordingtoMiller,Parrisspeaksof
spiritsinhishouse,Thenyouwereconjuringspiritslastnight,(ActOne:16).WithParriss
preachingofspiritsithasthetowninanarchy.Theauthorof
WitchesandWitchcraft
,Rosemary
Guileystates,Insomeways,Rev.ParriscausedtheWitchHysteria...,(Guiley.293).
Conjointly,ReverendParrisbroughtaslavebackwithhimfromBarbados.Tituba,theslave,is
veryreligious.Shebringsbacktheritualsfromheroldhomethatarebelievedtobethereason
ofthespreadofhysteria.Theoriginof
WitchesandWitchcraft
statesafactaboutTituba,Tituba
broughtwithhermagicfromBarbados,influencedbyRev.Parris,(Guiley.293).Accordingto
thediaryofReverendParris,Herepresentstosomethedangerofreligiouspowerwhenwielded
byselfcenteredanddeceptiveindividuals,(SWP:SamuelParris).Thisegoisticgreedyman

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wassoinvolvedwithpowerandreligiouscontrolhenotonlyacquiredTitubabutthewhole
communityofSalembecameinfectedbymasshysteria.AttheendofMillerstragedyParris
pleadedformercybutthedisserviceofwhathedidwastohardtoberedeemed.
ThecourtwassupposedtobetheheadofjusticeinSalem,buttheytoowereinfected
withhysteriabythegirls.EveryoneinSalemthoughttheteenagegirlwaslikeanangelthey
couldneverlie.AbigailWilliamswassupposetobethenicestgirl,whonevercommitsasin,so
everyonebelievesher.Sowhenshespreadsliesaboutwitchesandwitchcraftthroughthetown,
thepeopleofSalembelieveher.Abbywasinthemiddleofbeinginterrogated,andthenshesaid
adarkspiritwasamongthem.Marypleadedwiththegirlstostoppretendingandthecourt
accusedMary.AccordingtoMillersdrama,MaryWarren!Drawbackyourspiritoutof
them!(ActThree:116).Thisprofoundmomentshookthecourtbecausetheywerebroughtinto
theshowbythegirls.Thehysteriatookcontrolandmadethecourtbelievethattheiconoclast
Devilspiritswereamongthem,whichwasnottrue.Millerobservedwhatthediseaseofhysteria
didtoSalem.HeshowedhowtheliesspreadquicklythroughAbigailwhichcostsdozensof
peopletheirlives.
In1692Salem,Massachusetts,thewomenofthistimewerelimitedtojobsandworkof
farmandhouseholdchores,buttheywerenotlimitedtoconspiracyforbeingawitchand
workingwiththeDevil.Someofthewomenfeltjealousabouttheirlimiteduses.Early
AmericanLiteraturesupportsthisclaimbysaying,theviewthatreligionhasnoplacefor
women(henceitsbackwards)maysituneasilywiththeviewthatwoman(forlackother
opportunities)aremorereligiousthanmen(Fessenden186).Theuniversalsufferinglimited

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worktowomenmadethemturntowardsreligion,whichiswhytheyaresuspectnumberonein
theSalemWitchTrials.Womenleadthefamilyintoreligion,itisoneoftheirmostimportant
jobs.Asstatedin
DamnedWomen:SinnersandWitchesinPuritanNewEngland
,Puritan
womeninternalizationofthedominantreligiousculture,andhowsuchanacceptanceaffecteda
womanspublicsenseofself(M.Harpern.pg).Womenofthefamilywerethedominant
religiousperson,itisareasonwhyinMillersplayandintheSalemWitchTrialssomanywere
accusedandkilled.Forexample,about90%ofthehangingsthattookplacewerewomensuchas
GoodyOsburn,GoodyNurse,andGoodyPutnam
.
TheadultwomenplayastrongroleinthegenderconspiracyofSalem,buttheteenage
girlshaveabiggerimpactthanexpected.AbigailWilliamsleadsthechargeforaccusingthe
womenforwitchcraft.ThereasonwhytheSuperiorCourtbelievedherwasbecauseshewasan
innocentPuritangirlwhowasangelic.However,sheliedaboutseeingtheDevil.Theinfluence
ofthispowerallowedhertoeradicatethepeoplethatwrongedher.ElizabethProctor,areligious
andhonestwomanisaccusedofworkingwiththeDevilbyafamiliarfoe,Iamsixteenwarrant
tonight,sir,andsheisone.Whochargedher?WhyAbigailWilliamschargedher,(ActTwo:
71).AbigailissoblindbyherloveforJohnthatshewilllietothewholetownaboutElizabeth,
workingwiththeDeviltoarticulateherloveforJohn.ThereisasecretthatAbigailhasnottold
anyone,shehadanaffairwithJohnProctor.Intheirwords,AbigailandJohn,Wenever
touched,Abby.Ayebutwedid,(ActOne:23).AbigailWilliamsisasinnerandahustler,now
sheislyingtogetherway.SheislikeamagnettoProctor.Thetropestateddoesnotlie,the
SalemwitchpapershasproofofthebookthatAbigailsaidshesawElizabethwith,anditwasthe

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devil'sbook.TheSalemwitchpapersstates,shesaidthebookswareasredasbloodIaskedher
ifshehadseenthebookopened,(SWPno.138.1).TheinnocentAbigailWilliamsturnedoutto
bethereasonSalemfellandwhyMillerchosegendertowraphisplayaround.
IfyouwereaninnocentteenagegirloradultwomeninSalem,Massachusettsyouwere
probablyawitchaccordingtothepeople.Itdoesnotmatterifyouweretheadmirablegirlofthe
town,youwouldbeaccusedasawitchandlikelyhanged.Womenwerebelievedtohavebonded
withtheDevilandweremoresusceptibletosin.InthewordsofresearcherMarthaHarper,
Puritansagreedontheviewpointthatwomenweremoreevilthanmen,(M.Harper.688).Just
becauseofyourgenderyouwereaccusedofdoingmoreharmthangood.InSalemduring1692
innocentwomenwereroundedup,arrested,andkilled.MaryWarren,ahouseworkerforthe
Proctorspointsoutthewrongcountofarrestsinonenight,No,sir.Therebetwentythreenow,
(ActTwo:56).Theambiguityisrevealedintwoways,whatiswrongwiththecourtand
injusticeforwomen.Historiansbelievedthatthesetrialswereaimedatwomenwhodidnotstay
intheirrole.GilesCorey,aninnocentmaninallofthis,whofindsthemanthatpointsoutatthe
womanwhoareofftrack,Myproofisthere!IfJacobshangsforawitchforfeituphisproperty
...thatsthelaw,(96:ActThree).GoodyJacobsisgoingtobehangedbyPutnamsaccusations
becausehewantedherland.Thegenderrolein
TheCrucible
pansoutthestorybywholives,and
whodies.
ThestrictPuritancodewasfarfromtolerant.Itwasagainstthelawnottoattendchurch
wheremenandwomensatonoppositesidesthroughlongservices.Asstatedbefore,religion
waseverythingtothesepeopleandtheirculture.RichardGardnerfoundananswertothis

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reason,PuritansalsobelievedtheDevilwasasrealasGod.Everyonewasfacedwiththe
strugglebetweenthepowersofgoodandevil,butSatanwouldselecttheweakestindividuals
women,children,theinsanetocarryouthiswork,(R.Gardner.npg).Thecultureofthe
Puritan'sansweredthereadersof
TheCrucible's
questions.Whythewomanandwhythe
children?Puritansbelievedthatdeathwastheultimatepunishment.AsMarthaHarperhasnoted,
Witchcraftwasoneofthegreatestcrimesapersoncouldcommit,punishablebydeath,(M.
Harper688).InkeepingwiththePuritancodeofconformity,thefirstwomentobeaccusedof
witchcraftinSalemwereseenasdifferentandassocialoutcasts:Tituba,aslaveSarahGood,a
homelessbeggarandSarahOsborne,asicklyoldwomanwhomarriedherservant.Thewaythis
cultureinterrogatedsuspectedwitchesofwitchcraftwasirrational.Titubawasaninnocenthouse
workerforReverendParrisandjustbecausesheisaccusedofbreakingcodeshewasquestioned
forwitchcraft.Mr.HaleisaskingTitubaifshesoldhersoulandhetakesittoofar,hestates,
WHYareyouconcealing?HaveyousoldyoursoultoLucifer?(ActOne:43).Thepeopleof
thisculturethinkitisamiraclewheninrealityitiscruel.PuritanCulturewasthelifestylethat
Millersplaywasbasedon,andpartofthethemeawayfromthebookaswellasthesetting.
Millers
TheCrucible
isadramaticplaybasedontheSalemWitchTrialsthathappened
inSalemMassachusetts,1692.Theplaycirclesaroundthreethemesorcentralideasthatpullthe
playtogether.Hysteria,PuritanCulture,andGenderplaysatremendousroleintheSalemwitch
trials.

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McCarthy,Joanne.DamnedWomen:SinnersandWitchesinPuritanNewEngland.Magil
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